Sufi orders announce participation in 25 January celebrations

The Sufi orders, on Thursday, announced they would participate in the 25 January celebration to mark the first anniversary of the Egyptian revolution that toppled the ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

Abdel Hadi al-Qasby, head of the Sufi orders, told al-Masry al-Youm that they agreed with the Islamist, political and popular forces to participate in the 25 January celebrations in order to show that the revolution continues and to revive its spirit in Tahrir Square.

“We are keen on the unity of the fabric of Egyptian society,” said Qasby.

He also said the celebrations should be peaceful. “We are against the destruction of public institutions,” he added.

For his part, Essam Mohy, secretary general of the Sufi-oriented Tahrir Al-Masry Party, said his party is participating to demand the handover of power to a civilian authority.

On Monday, 54 political parties and movements called for country-wide protests on 25 January to demand a swift transfer of power from military to civilian authorities.

In a statement, the groups listed their demands, including the handover of power to an elected president by April, the release of all activists in detention, the end to military trials for civilians and the approval of minimum and maximum wage limits.